Flow intermittency patterns, organic carbon dynamics, and cultural ecosystem services in the Mediterranean

Llanos Paez, Oriana Lucia
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Non-perennial rivers and streams are defined as systems that cease to flow at some point in space and time along their course. These systems are widespread globally representing more than half of the global river network, with dominance in arid and semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean. In these systems, flow intermittency patterns that encompass the temporal and spatial streamflow fluctuations determine their ecological structure and function as well as their relationship with people. Due to their particular hydrological characteristics and prevalence worldwide, these systems support diverse and unique flora and fauna, human activities, and biogeochemical processes. Nevertheless, despite their global relevance and prevalence, non-perennial rivers have been typically undervalued by managers, researchers, and society. Which in some cases have resulted in their exclusion from regulatory protection frameworks and the understudy of these systems. Taking this into account, this thesis aims to analyse the effects of spatial and temporal patterns of flow intermittency on organic carbon dynamics and cultural ecosystem services, with a specific emphasis on recreation activities. Employing a combination of modelling, fieldwork, and social media data analysis, this study seeks to comprehensively grasp contemporary organic carbon dynamics and human activities in a non-perennial Mediterranean river basin. Additionally, the study explores the influence of environmental and socio-environmental factors on these dynamics. The results showed that the Algars basin exhibited significant spatial and temporal flow intermittency patterns over the past 15 years, including marked inter- and intra-annual variations, particularly during extreme meteorological years. A discernible seasonal pattern also characterises intra-annual variability, with a substantial portion of the river network drying during the summer, while the prevalence of non-flowing stream segments was relatively low in spring and autumn. The study also highlights how a drying trend in the Algars basin, driven by an 18% reduction in annual precipitation over the past 14 years, has led to a doubling of non-flow days within the river network ​
​L'accés als continguts d'aquesta tesi queda condicionat a l'acceptació de les condicions d'ús establertes per la següent llicència Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/